System for obtaining and maintaining operating temperatures of internal-combustion engines



May M, 1950 o. o. OAKS 2,5@7@43 SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING AND MAINTAININGOPERATING TEMPERATURES OF INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed Sept. 26,1947 Patented May 16, 1950 SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING AND MAINTAIN- INGOPERATING TEMPERATURES OF IN- TERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES Orion OttisOaks, Summit, N. 1., assignor, by

Liquids,

mesne assignments, to Thermal New York, N. Y., a corporation oi.Delaware Application September 26, 1947, Serial No. 776,317

Claims. 1

This invention relates to a system for obtaining and maintainingoperating temperatures of internal combustion engines duringnon-operating periods and more particularly to such systems in whichheat is also provided for auxiliary equipment normally associated withinternal combustion engines to maintain such equipment at operatingtemperatures. More particularly this invention relates to such a systemin which a particular class of chemical compounds, the tetra-aryl orthosilicates, are used as the heat transfer medium to maintain desiredtemperatures.

Heretofore much difficulty has been experienced in the operation ofinternal combustion engines in cold regions and especially the arcticand antarctic because during non-operating periods the intense cold willfreeze moving parts of the engine and much labor and time must be thenexpended to thaw out the engine. Many expedients have been suggested toovercome these dificulties including various types of portable heatedenclosures to be placed about the engine during non-operating periodsbut all of these have serious defects and it appears to be standardpractice to leave engines at idling speeds even-when notin use tomaintain their operatin; temperatures 1 last --practice is. most"ineiiicient 'becausaof fuel consumption and -.en-' gine wear.

T have found timrii zu nigtnecetra-arylertho 1 r e bodimentsvone ofwhich isshown in the actem for obtaining and maintaining oP- silicatesas theheat --transfer mediuma- -syse sew? Ihe tetraaryl ortho in ofchemical compounds at approximately 600 F. and may still be circulatedat "60 1'. Between these temperatures .these compounds provide an idealheat transfer mediumhaving no vapor pressure upon heating up to 600 F.and hence requiring no special type of equipment for its use. Below --60F. these compounds become more and more viscous with no change involume, as is the case in the freezing of water. They will readilyabsorb heat even when in very viscous condition and as the temperaturerises they become more and more fluid and easy to circulate. Hence asystem employing these compounds as the heat transfer medium need haveno special design to withstand internal pressures and may be constructedof the lightest pos- H in accordance with the overcomeszali of siblematerials. Further, such a system may be allowed to cool to externaltemperatures below F. and operating temperatures may be readily andeconomically obtained by a local heating of the tetra-aryl orthosilicate and thereafter circulating the heated tetra-aryl ortho silicatethrough the system.

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a novelsystem for obtaining ating temperatures by application of heat to theheat transfer. medium.

Another object is to provide such a system which will require no specialapparatus or parts i and which may be made of the lightest possibmaterial.

Other and further objects of the present invention will appear'iromtheiollowing description. 7 invention is compan'ying -drawlngand is.rdescribedihereaiter to-"iIlus'trate-the invention. should in no "had tothe appended purpose. a

the drawing. an inteinai combustion "engine fisshownf T s 8 'tionary Itis to'pe understoodthat the 1 I system :ofxmy "invention may alsobeapplied to all type's'of internalcombustion-engines in all types ofvehicles, aeroplanes or boats and that the system may also be appliedtoall type of equipment normally associated with an internal combustionengine some of which are more or less schematically shown in thedrawing. Engine III is provided with a crankcase II and intake andexhaust manifolds l2 and I3, respectively, and may be provided with theusual cooling jackets in the engine block and engine head. not hereshown. These jackets are connected by pipes l4 and I! in theconventional way to a conventional radiator l6 conventionally cooled byfan l1. Radiator I8 is connected by pipe ll capable-01 1 1? mechanical wbeaconstruedy sneflningor'l to a conventional circulating pump ll drivenby engine ll. Pump II is connected totheengine jackets by pipe 20. Theengine Jackets, radiator and piping are filled with tetra-aryl orthosilicate and since this system is preferably, though not necessarily, aclosed system it may be provided with a suitable pressure and vacuumresponsive relief valve 2|.

Suitably arranged adjacent engine II is a heater 22 for tetra-aryl orthosilicate. Heater 22 may be heated by any suitable means as by gasoline,oil, electricity or even coal or wood where expedient and may be heatedby selfcontained heaters such as blow torches and the like. Heatedtetra-aryl ortho silicate is taken from heater 22 by pipe 23 anddelivered to coupling 2|. Manually operable flow control valve 25 isconnected to coupling 24 and is connected to heating coil 28 which heatsconventional engine starting and ignition battery 21. Coil 2! isconnected to return piping 28 which terminates at coupling 29. Coupling29 connects to return side 30 of heater 22.

- Pipe 3| leads from coupling 2! to coupling 32 and manually operableflow control valve 33 connects to coupling 32. Pipe 34 leads from valve33 to coupling 35 and pipe 36 leads from coupling 38 to heating coil 31heating a conventional internal combustion engine carburetor shownschematically at ll. Coil 31 is connected to return pipes 39 and It,pipe in connecting into coupling 2!. Pipe Ii connects pipes ill and II.Pipe 42 communicates with coupling 32 and leads to coupling 43. Pipe 44leads from coupling 3 to coupling 45 and pipe 46 leads from coupling IIto manually adjustable flow control valve l1. Valve 41 isv connected bypipe 48 to pipe I. Manually adjustable flow control valve 49 isconnected to coupling ll and is connected by pipe II to a suitableheating coil 5| arranged in crankcase II to heat the lubricating oiltherein. Coil Ii is connected by pipe 52 to the return side oi heater22.

Pipe 53 connects at one end to coupling 3 and at its other end tocoupling 54. Pipe I5 leads from coupling 54 to manually operable flowcontrol valve which valve is connected to a suitable heater 5'! forheating the interior of the vehicle. engine enclosure or the like. Theexhaust side of heater 5! is connected by pipe II, coupling is and pipeit to pipe i8. Manually operable flow control valve ii is connected tocoupling 54 and pipe 62 leads from valve 6| to a suitable de-icer 63, aswhen the system is applied to aircraft, and the exhaust side of de-iceri2 i connected by pipe 84, coupling 65 and pipe 6 to coupling 8..

The system as above described is filled with tetra-aryl ortho silicateand is preferably, though not necessarily, a closed system. An expansiontank 61 is therefore supplied for the tetra-aryl ortho silicate tocompensate for expansion and contraction of the same upon heating andcooling. A suitable pressure and vacuum responsive relief valve 68communicates with tank I and tank 61 is in communication with highpoints in the system through pipes 69 and II which conmeet to couplings35 and 85 respectively.

With the embodiment of my invention set up as above described supposethat engine I. and its accessory devices have cooled to outsidetemperatures even below 60 F. At such temperatures the engine wouldnormally be immovable. Heater 22 is fired and the tetra-aryl orthosilicate therein heated. As the temperature of the tetra-aryl orthosilicate rises in heater 22 it becomes more and more fluid and rises inpipes 28 and II and 4 flowing through pipes 44 and it passes throughradiator l6 and through pipes I8 and 20 to the engine jackets raisingthe temperature of engine ll. Meanwhile heated tetra-aryl ortho silicatehas passed through coil 26 and pipe 2. to heat battery 21; has passedthrough valve 4! and pipe 50 to heat coil 5i and the lubricating oil incrank case II; and has passed through valve 23 and pipes 34 and 36 tocoil 31 to heat carburetor It and has returned from coil 31 throughpipes 3| and to heater 22. As the first consideration at this time is toraise the temperature of engine ll, valves 56 and Cl are closed so thatheated tetra-aryl ortho silicate will not be diverted to space heater5'! and de-lcer it.

When the temperature of engine I II and that of the oil in crankcase I Ihave reached operating temperatures engine ll may be started and ilringof heater 22 maybe discontinued. Thereafter the tetra-aryl orthosilicate is heated in the Jackets of engine II by acting as the coolingmedium for engine II and is taken from the engine jackets through pipesN and 48 and distributed through the rest of the system as described.Heater 22 may be used to further heat the tetraaryl ortho silicate whenengine II is in operation when required.

When engine I I is operating at normal running temperatures valves 56and ii may be opened as desired to supply heated tetra-aryl orthosilicate to space heater 51 and de-icer OI, pipes 84. t8 and I returningthe tetra-aryl ortho silicate to the engine jackets.

When engine II has been operating and it is desired to shut down butmaintain operating temperatures heater 22 is tired and heated tetraarylortho silicate is circulated from heater 22 throughout the system aslong as engine It is not running. Heater 22 may be controlled to givedesired temperatures for the tetra-aryl ortho silicate.

' The several manually operable flow control valves may be adjusted asdesired to provide rates and volumes'of flow in the various parts of thesystem as conditions may require and the amount of cooling of thetetra-aryl ortho silicate in radiator it may be controlled to providedesired ensine operating temperatures in the conventional way. Thecirculation of tetra-aryl ortho silicate by pump I i may also beadjusted as desirable.

It is now apparent that by the present invention I have provided a novelsystem for obtaining and maintaining internal combustion engineoperating temperatures which utilizes a particular class of chemicalcompounds, the tetra-aryl ortho silicates. as the heat transfer medium:in which auxiliary mechanisms usually associated with an internalcombustion engine are brought to and maintained at operatingtemperatures; by which internal combustion engines no matter how coldcan be emciently and readily brought to operating temperatures; whichrequires no special apparatus or parts; and which may be made of thelightest possible material.

Changes to or modifications of the above described illustrativeembodiment of my invention may now be suggested to those skilled in theart without departing from my inventive concept. Reference shouldtherefore be had to the appended claims to determine the scope of thisinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a system for obtaining and maintaining operating temperatures foran internal combustion engine provided with a crankcase for lubrieatingoil and a cooling system including engine jackets, a radiator, acirculating pump and an organic silicate as the heat transfer medium inthe cooling system, a heater for the organic silicate, means forconnecting the supply side of said heater to the cooling system adjacentthe radiator, means connecting the return side of said heater to thecooling system adjacent the pump, a heating coil for the lubricating oilin the crankcase and means in communication with said heater and withthe cooling system for circulating heated organic silicate through saidcoil.

2. In a closed system for obtaining and maintaining operatingtemperatures for an internal combustion engine having a crankcase and acooling system filled with an organic silicate, a heater for the organicsilicate, means for circu lating heated organic silicate from saidheater through the cooling system and for returning the organic silicateto said heater, a coil for heating the crankcase, means connected intosaid first named circulating means for circulating heated organicsilicate through said coil and expansion means for the organic silicateconnected into said circulating means.

3. A system as defined in claim 2 in which the internal combustionengine is provided with a carburetor and a battery, a heating coil forthe carburetor, a heating coil for the battery, and means for connectingsaid last named coils into said first named circulating system.

4. A system as defined in claim 2 which is constructed and arranged sothat when engine operating temperatures have been reached said heatermay be discontinued and the heated organic silicate from the coolingsystem may pass through said circulating means to maintain engineoperating temperatures.

5. A system as defined in claim 2 in which a de-icer and a space heaterare associated with the internal combustion engine, heating means forthe de-icer, heating means for the space heater, and means forconnecting said heating means into said first named circulating system.

ORION OTTIS OAKS.

REFERENCES crrEn The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,357,598 Thompson Nov. 2, 19202,021,569 Pasco Nov. 19, 1935 2,367,197 Caldwell Jan. 16, 1945 2,399,941Resek May 7, 1946

